The Great Lakes Water Walk

Sunday, September 24, 2017 - 6:00am to 3:30pm

Bluffer's Park in Scarborough, and JC Saddington Park in Mississauga

The warming of the planet has affected all waterlife in our ponds, lakes, waterways, seas, and oceans. The waters are warmer, the Co2 is out of balance and algae blooms are out of control. The Great Lakes Water Walk is focused on the health and wellness of water in a relationship context: understanding that water is life and therefore affects all life. What happens to the water in the sky, various bodies of water, or in the ground, is all connected to the changes of climate and subsequently its usage and availability. From a traditional Indigenous perspective, the current relationship we have to the planet has changed not only the climate balance necessary, but has also directly affected the health and wellness of the waters.

The source of all life on Earth – water – is sacred to Canada's First Nations Peoples. That special relationship is the inspiration behind this year's first annual Great Lakes Water Walk on Sunday, Sept. 24 from 6:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Toronto's Waterfront Trail.

A FREE public event, the first Great Lakes Water Walk has two starting points: Bluffer's Park in Scarborough, and JC Saddington Park in Mississauga, with multiple stops along the way. Throughout the walk, following Anishinaabe ceremonial protocols, Grandmothers and Elders, with collaboration and guidance from Nibi Emosaawdamajig , will make water offerings, sing water songs, and coordinate a collective agreement among participants to uphold the sacredness and purity of the Great Lakes. The walk concludes at Marilyn Bell Park (851 Lake Shore Boulevard West, Toronto, ON M4M 1B2) with respected Anishinaabeg Grandmothers and Elders leading participants in a blessing of the Great Lakes.

The walk unites First Peoples and Canadians in a symbolic walk towards reconciliation through a shared reverence for life-sustaining water, and to ensure the health and well-being of the Great Lakes of Ontario for future generations. Visit greatlakeswaterwalk.ca for more details.

Please join us in praise of mother earth's most precious gift! #BecauseOfWater